A Lazy Evening
by Numbuh Phenon
Summary: Nigel may be cunning, but Rachel has her own tricks.


**Disclaimer: **I do not own Codename Kids Next Door.

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She couldn't help but think it seemed…weird was probably the best way to phrase it. Yes, weird. Opposite like weird, or role reversal. Something like that. It was like they just switched places. That much she deduced on her own. But like any curious child, she wanted to know _why_.

Probably safe to just call them weird and leave it at that. All adults were, even her parents. Especially her parents. But yet…

Young Kathrine Uno turned away from her pretend tea party (which was really a cover for a pretend spy game) and analyzed the form of her lounging mother on the couch. Finding out who poisoned Ms. Rose-stripes' sugar lumps would have to be put on hold until she figured out what was going on with her parents. It had been nagging at her mind all throughout the day. And for some strange reason, she felt that she might actually get an answer this time.

The small pigtailed blonde glanced up to the much older blonde relaxing easily on the cushy sofa. Rachel laid stretched out across the light blue furniture, one foot carelessly dangling over the side while her other heel lightly dug into the soft material. The woman was plainly dressed in a long orange robe while a matching sash held the outfit together. With two plushy pillows tucked behind her back, Rachel only laid comfortably against them with a light smile on her lips while her hazel orbs twinkled with amusement due to the program she was viewing.

Kathrine could only tilt her hand in confusion as she watched her mom laze about. Not there was nothing odd about her mom laying around, it was just that she had been doing it all day long. Since she woke up. In fact, she only left her bedside not even three hours ago. She wasn't ill, or had any physical problems. She wasn't _that _old. No, her mom was in cheerful mood all day, in high spirits, full of smiles and sunshine, whatever you wished to call it. Rachel was fine. The only thing that bothered the young Uno was that her mother was being something she thought Rachel was purely incapable of being.

Lazy.

Her dad on the other hand,

As if her thoughts summoned him, Kathrine turned towards the kitchen doorway as soon as Nigel emerged from it. While her mom was the epitome of laid back at the moment, her British husband seemed to be a jittering mess. Kathrine couldn't contain the small giggle that escaped her lips as her dad scrambled by. The bald man wandered into the living room; dressed in a casual white shirt and dark trousers, but the piece of clothing that evoked a chuckle from the two females in the room was the purple apron Nigel had tied around his front.

"I just finished." Nigel tiredly huffed out as he stopped in front of Rachel. Once he caught his breath, the Brit offered Rachel a timid smile as watched her expression blank. "Everything's clean now."

"Hmm," Rachel's smile dropped as she rose a brow at the man, taking concealed inner delight at how nervous he seemed to be getting under her stare. Her eyes trailed lower, and she allowed the corners of her mouth to quirk when she saw that his lower half was completely drenched in sudsy dish water. "You washed everything?"

"Yeah." He nodded. His eyes widened a bit as if he just remembered some long lost secret. "Oh! Here's that ice cream you wanted." He nervously laughed as he passed the bowl filled with the frozen, creamy treat into his spouse's eager hands. "I'll, uh, scrub that once you've finished it."

"Thanks!" Rachel bubbled as she happily indulged in her guilty pleasure. The spoon slid into her mouth without delay, and the blonde moaned as the sweetness melted as it made contact with her tongue. Butter pecan, oh she was spoiling herself now. And she loved it.

Nigel's fingers wriggled together anxiously as Rachel took her time with her snack. His eyes wavered behind his clear specs. Maybe he was in the clear now. "Soo…are things, better now?" He carefully asked. If he worded it the wrong way and she put it together then he was as good as dead.

Once he spoke, Rachel paused with her ice cream and lightly beamed. "Oh everything's okay." She responded as her fingers twiddled with one of her golden locks. From under her bangs, she eyed the man to see his face easing with relief. She held back a smirk, he was way too easy. She then replaced her small with a depressed frown as she let out a forced, dejected sigh. "But…"

As expected, Nigel tensed. "B-But?"

"Oh, it's nothing." Rachel muttered as she turned her head away. Her free hand went to tuck a bothersome strand of hair behind her ear. The woman then sighed again as she spoke with a voice apparent with disappointment. "It's just, I can't believe you completely forgot about _today_…" She trailed off sadly.

"W-What?" Nigel stuttered as his eyes shifted to and fro. Crud. He thought for sure she would let it go now. "O-Of course I didn't forget –"

"Don't worry about it, dear." Rachel waved off. She then dramatically sighed. "It was silly of me to think _today_ would be meaningful to both of us. I just thought it would be a special occasion." Her frame visibly deflated and she faced away from the man with an indifferent gaze. "But I guess I was wrong."

"No! I…no!" Nigel vehemently denied. Of course he was lying. He had no bloody idea what today was supposed to be about. But he wasn't about to admit that to Rachel. The insane woman gave him the cold shoulder for a whole week when he forgot about her mangy brother's birthday. Like he was supposed to care about Harvey. But no, with a possible threat like that hanging in the air he had to play it off by any means necessary.

Nigel managed to calm himself enough to school his features into a cool expression. "I _know_ what _today_ is Rachel."

"Really?" She muttered as her eyes flicked to her hand, scanning her nails; her glare becoming heated. "Because I don't think you do."

"I-I do! It was where we…y'know at the thing with...the guy did…that in Vegas and…" He fumbled, trying with all his brainpower to come up with something only to come up miserably short. "...stuff."

There was a tense silence afterword, one where Rachel appeared to glowering down into the depths of Nigel's soul. The Brit fidgeted and fully believed that he would be caught then and there. But to his immense shock and relief, the blonde only smiled. "So you _do_ remember?" Her legs suddenly hiked up, and she positioned her feet over the arm of the couch. "So that means you won't mind rubbing my feet later?" She implied with a victorious grin as her toes wiggled for emphasis.

At her request, Nigel let out a mixed breath of alleviation and exasperation. Well, if it would keep him out of the doghouse… But then his thin brow quirked as a hopeful gleam entered his pupils. "What about after that?"

"I don't know, Nigel." Rachel rolled her eyes at his suggestion and sent him a dry look. "I think I'm getting a 'headache'." She smirked as he slumped. Payback was so delicious the other way around. A cry from another room caused their heads to snap towards the sound. After a moment, Rachel turned to give her husband a devious glance. "I think Kenny needs a diaper change. Go take care of that and bring him to me when you're done."

Nigel grimaced as he thought of that death sentence. The paling man looked in the direction the wails were coming from, then down to the blonde's expectant expression. Knowing that look, he groaned and resigned himself to his fate. "Yes, dear." After reaching into his pocket, procuring a clothespin, and placing aforementioned clothespin over his nostrils, the bald Brit walked off to tend to his second child.

Seemingly invisible to the adults, Kathrine couldn't help but let her face break out in cute bewilderment as her dad walked by. It had been like this all day long. Ever since this morning, Rachel seemed to be floating on cloud nine, while Nigel seemed jittery and nerve wracked. To make things even more puzzling, her dad was doing all the 'mommy work' while mom herself just sat around. Kathrine also wasn't blind to how Rachel seemed to have Nigel waiting on her, hand and foot.

But why?

Once she was sure Nigel was in the other room, Kathrine glanced up to Rachel who had returned to munching on her ice cream. "Mama?" The small girl cried, continuing once she was sure she had the older woman's undivided attention. "Why's daddy acting like you?"

It took a moment for Rachel to process the child's oddly stated inquiry, but once it clicked, she just laughed. "Because of _today_, sweetie." She answered as stole another bite. Oh, there was a nut in that one!

Kathrine only became more confused. "What's so special 'bout _today_?"

"Nothing. It's just another Saturday." Rachel answered as se placed the spoon back towards the bowel. With an expert flick of the wrist, she had another large bite all ready to devour. But inches away from her mouth, she paused. Her gaze traveled over her shoulder to see where Nigel had wandered off to. She then turned back to her daughter and gave off a sly wink.

"But your father doesn't know that…"

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**Something fun and quick. Sorry if I haven't responded to any of your messages. I haven't been online since I last updated, what was it? MUSICAL? I don't think I've been gone that long.**

**But that's not important. I've done my work, played enough New Vegas, and now I'm ready to type. Stuff from me will start to get updated again. Like the Halloween story later today. Oh, and the story of Cold Reception will start to pick back up Monday-ish. **

**Later! **


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